Alcatel Lucent: No contaminants found in New Providence or Berkeley Heights

NEW PROVIDENCE –Worried homeowners in New Providence and Berkeley Heights can breathe a sigh of relief. The recent round of ground water vapor testing conducted by Alcatel Lucent and the Department of Environmental protection has shown no positive results.

Last November homeowners were surprised to receive letters from Alcatel-Lucent requesting permission to conduct vapor testing in their homes. The tests would determine if homes primarily along South Street had been impacted by ground water contaminated with the chemical Trichloroethylene or TCE, a known carcinogen. A total of 17 structures were identified for testing and access to perform the testing was given for 12 locations.

“We have received the results of testing for the buildings where we were given access to test and have informed each of those property owners of their results. The results of the sub-slab or in some cases indoor air sampling identified no constituents associated with the Alcatel-Lucent site above the NJDEP’s screening levels for residential structures,” said Gary Fisher, an Environmental Health manager for Alcatel-Lucent. “The results of the testing have been communicated with NJDEP and a formal report will be submitted in March.”

Fisher said that a report documenting the vapor intrusion evaluation will be submitted to NJDEP in March and that the DEP will make the final determination if additional testing is required. “We do not recommend any further testing, however NJDEP will make the final determination,” he said.

According to a fact sheet from 2009, a contaminated plume was discovered in 1996 that “extends northeast from the southwest corner of the Alcatel Lucent property to approximately 350 feet south of the intersection of South Street and Candlewood Drive with a maximum width of 1,400 feet along Mountain Avenue.”

Alcatel-Lucent performed an extensive remedial action between June 2006 and October 2009. “With NJDEP concurrence, we are currently examining the efficacy of conducting further remediation at the site,” Fisher said. “The results of this evaluation will be documented in a report to NJDEP in April 2011.”

Prior to this round of testing, 19 homes along Glenside Avenue and Roland Road were tested with one home testing positive. Those homes were closest to the source of the plume. A system was installed in the affected home to “draw the air out from below the foundation and vent it outside of the home.” The home was retested over the course of a year and no further positive results were found.